


Everything Has Changed

by FireSoul



Series: Coming Together [6]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireSoul/pseuds/FireSoul
Summary: After receiving some good news Sara makes a trip to Star City to catch up with Laurel.





	1. The Hospital

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm turning some of the one shots I've been doing over the past year into a series of their own because they're connected.

With her fingers drumming anxiously against the steering wheel after putting the car in park Sara lets out the slow exhale of a breath that she has quite possibly been holding for the entire, seemingly endless, drive. This whole week has been nothing but a whirlwind of impatience mixed with fear, and then mixed with excitement. But all of that will be over in just a few minutes, so Sara turns her key out of the ignition and gets out of the car, shutting the door loudly behind her. She walks briskly across the parking lot, weaving her way through the crowd of cars until she makes it to the front entrance much sooner than she had expected she would and the automatic doors slide open for her.

The lobby of the hospital is relatively small, and mostly empty. On one side there is an entrance to the gift shop, on the other is a hallway with a big light up sign declaring it as the start of the emergency ward. But at the center of the lobby is a desk with a rather bored looking man sitting behind it. She approaches him and states her business, and after she’s appropriately signed in he points her in the direction of the elevator. She smiles and heads over, but pressing the button for the fourth floor and then anxiously waiting as the mechanical box rises is possibly more torturous than the long drive here was. Yet, finally, the tone of a bell dings from somewhere over her head and the steel doors slide open to reveal a new hallway, one lined with doors and sparsely populated by only a few people walking about looking for the rooms of their loved ones. She steps out of the elevator and joins them; her eyes searching for the room the receptionist had given her the number of. It doesn’t take her long to find it, and after only a few minutes of searching there is nothing standing between her and an impossibility she has spent years hoping for other than one simple door.

She should run right through it, she wants to, but her feet feel like they’re glued to the floor and it takes her almost a full minute to bring herself to take a step, then a second one, and then her hand is wrapping around the cold door handle and turning it open.

She smiles brightly and sighs in relief at the sight of the hospital bed, at her sister smiling back at her.

“Hey,” the other woman says, her face and smile bright as ever, if only a little tired.

“Hey,” Sara returns with a laugh, her smile so wide it’s probably reaching her ears, and the next thing that she knows she’s hurrying across the room and bending over to wrap her sister in a tight embrace. “Oh, I’ve missed you.”

Laurel actually laughs into her shoulder at that, “I’d say the same but I’ve pretty much just been asleep this whole time. Though I did miss you during those few months you were gone before I was shot.” She says, pulling back from their embrace and laying a hand on the side of Sara’s face, thumb moving in gentle strokes across her cheek and wiping away tears the younger blonde hadn’t even realized she’d been crying.

Damn it.

Eventually, after more than a few minutes of just laughing and hugging, Sara pulls up a chair beside her sister’s bed and settles herself into it.

“So,” she starts, “Four years in a coma.” Laurel laughs at the blunt statement, making her laugh as well. “How are you feeling?”

“As well as I can be, I guess.” Laurel answers with a shrug, fingers fiddling with the edges of her blanket. “And really it was more like three and a half years.” She insists pointedly, to which Sara chuckles.

“Ok, fair point.”

“I’ve missed so much,” Laurel continues, almost wistfully. “How was time travel?”  
Sara huffs a nervous laugh at that, she had been hoping that they might be able to stay away from the topic of the Waverider for just a little while, if only because despite the ample time she’s had to prepare she still hasn’t figured out how to tell her sister about what happened over the course of her time there. But, she’s going to have to come out with it sooner or later, even if she would prefer later.

“Um… It was good.” She answers, “Yeah it was really good. We defeated Savage, and then we ended up safeguarding time. Actually, and I know I told you Rip was going to drop me off like I never left, but things got… complicated. I ended up being gone for a couple of years, so we started keeping track of our own present time while on the ship.” Laurel’s eyes go a little wide at the explanation, almost disbelieving. “What?” Sara continues, laughing again.

“Should I be concerned when you say things got complicated?” She questions, though she appears to be more amused than actually concerned.

“No,” Sara insisted lightly, “Some things happened, Rip ended up leaving for awhile, and I ended up as The Captain for a little bit.” Laurel raises an eyebrow at her confession. “Oh, also.” Sara quickly adds, “I ended up stranded in the 50’s for two years so technically I’m now the same age as you.” Laurel is silent for a moment at that, processing the new information with her tongue pressed thoughtfully against the inside of her cheek. “Plus three months in 1779, so maybe a little older.”

The amount of time that the quiet stretches out after that, Sara almost starts to worry that she’s broken Laurel, and that her sister might not be able to handle the news she’s been stressing over sharing. But, eventually, the other woman shakes her head.

“I don’t care,” she finally says, “You are still my _little_ sister.” She teases, a smirk on her face and Sara laughs.

“Fair enough.”

“So,” Laurel goes on, her expression knowing. “Anything _else_ happen while you were traveling through time?”

Sara, despite the smile crossing her face and the chuckle coming out her mouth, fidgets in her seat a little, eyes avoiding Laurel’s.

“Why do are you looking at me like that?” She asks.

“Because something’s different about you Sara. You’re… you’re lighter than you were the last time I saw you. I don’t think I’ve seen you smile like this since we were kids.” Sara can’t help but blush after that, to which Laurel almost snickers. She’s always known how to read her, so Sara doesn’t know why she had ever suspected this topic would be broached on her own terms. “Sara come on,” the decidedly older woman continues to press. “You’re practically glowing, what happened while you were gone?”

Sara almost chokes on nothing but the words caught in her throat at that, she doesn’t think that Laurel’s meant those words, that expression, in the same way that other people would, but it still sends a surge of panic through her system.

“Well…” She eventually drawls, almost breathless, and she has to clear her throat in order to find her voice. “I guess I need to tell you something.”

“Really?” Laurel asks, mocking, and an eyebrow raised.

“Well I didn’t drive all this way to say ‘hey’.” Sara rebuts, mocking just as much as her sister. “So like I said, some things happened while I was traveling, and one of those things might be that I met someone…” She trails off, especially once Laurel’s face lights up in the absolute most excited of smiles, and she knows that she’s just going to have to come right out with all of it. “Now keep in mind,” she says before her sister can bombard her with questions that she’s already planning on answering. “You’ve been in a coma for almost four years, ok, that’s a lot of time.”

“You’re still with them?” Laurel quickly asks before Sara can go on.

“Yes,” She answers, voice bordering on the verge of being annoyed. “His name is Leonard and, like I said, you’ve been asleep for a long time, ok. So keep in mind a lot of things have happened in that time. Leonard and I have been together for about three years now, and last year we… we got married.” She finally spits out, producing her wedding ring and band from her jeans pocket. She had decide to keep them hidden when she first came in, so that Laurel wouldn’t figure out that she’s gotten married before she had a chance to explain.

Speaking of Laurel, Sara thought her earlier reaction to the time desertion might have been an indicator of how this news would go over, but instead her sister’s smile is bright.

“Oh my god!” She all but squeals; leaning over the edge of her bed to wrap Sara in another tight hug. The younger blonde laughs as she’s pulled into the embrace, and suddenly she can’t stop herself from sharing the second part of her “confession”.

“And you have a niece.” She blurts out and suddenly Laurel goes tense, though Sara still can’t wipe the amused smile from her face.

Laurel pulls back, allowing Sara to see her face. She looks shocked. Not quite happy, not upset by any means, just completely and utterly shocked.

“What?” She finally stammers and Sara can’t suppress her chuckle at the sound, maybe she has broken her sister.

“Her name’s Aurora, she’s two. She’ll be three in August. We call her Rory for short.” Even after the small explanation Laurel doesn’t say anything, but just sits there stunned and trying to process the information.

“You’re lying,” she finally comes out with.

“No I’m not!” Sara defends, laughing possibly harder than she already had been, because the accusing look that has found it’s way into Laurel’s eyes is just too damn funny.

“Yes you are,” The other woman continues to insist, “I can buy that you met someone and got married in the time I was asleep, but there is no way you had a baby.”

“Except that I did,” Sara singsongs, almost adding in _“and I’m going to have another”_ but she stops herself, at this rate that might actually send Laurel back into a coma.

“No way,” Laurel continues to deny.

“Yes way,” Sara goes on insisting, and finally she decides to take pity on the other woman and pulls out her phone, touching her thumb to the home button and lighting up the screen with it’s designated wallpaper. “Here, this is her.” She says, turning over the phone to show Laurel the image of her niece. The little girl’s dirty blonde hair is hanging in a mess in her face as she proudly holds up her shoe; although why she was so proud of it all of a sudden Sara still has no idea, it was something about the glitter on the toe.

At first Laurel just gapes at the image, then her eyes flick up to Sara’s as if she’s about to try telling her that isn’t her child. But she doesn’t say anything, instead her eyes go back to the screen and she ends up taking the phone in her hands. She’s quiet for another few seconds, concentrating on the picture like she’s trying to commit it to memory. Finally she takes in a very shaky breath, and only then does Sara realize how close her sister is to crying.

“She’s beautiful,” she says, and Sara can’t help but smile proudly at that. “I can’t believe you’re a mom.”

Now Sara is almost shedding a tear herself. “I told you a lot changed while you were out.”

“I guess so,” Laurel laughs, “Oh my god, I’m an aunt!”

“Yeah,” Sara chuckles, “Yeah you are.”

“Oh my god,” Apparently that’s all Laurel is capable of saying right now, plus she’s still looking at the picture, completely mesmerized. Wiping away her tears and then after a moment she hands Sara back her phone. “Ok, I’m good.”

“You sure?” Sara snickers, not yet putting her phone back into her pocket because she knows that they’ll be looking at more pictures soon.

“Yeah,” Laurel insists, “Do I get to meet her?” She asks and then seems to think a minute, “And Leonard?”

A small, grateful, smile finds it’s way onto Sara’s face. “Of course you do,” she promises, and just like that the next few hours fly by, filled with Sara telling Laurel all about her husband and daughter, and showing her countless pictures of each. She tells her about who Leonard is, to which the older woman has more than a few quips about, and then more about the Waverider.

By the time Sara leaves she’s promised Laurel that she’ll be back by the time she’s released at the end of the week, and this time she’ll bring Len and Rory along with her.

Heading back to her car there is a smile on her face the whole way, even knowing she has such a long drive ahead of her she can’t bring herself to dread it. Things have been in a good place for her for a long time now, ever since Len came back. But having her sister back now, having Laurel able to meet Leonard and Rory, as well as the future niece or nephew she still doesn’t know about; it’s more than she ever dared to dream for.


	2. Status Report

The first thing that Sara thinks when she walks through the door of the apartment is that it’s quiet. She glances at her phone for the time, it’s only a little before eight and normally this place is a warzone right about now. Taking off her shoes she keeps her ears peeled for any noise and once she’s done her hand unconsciously moves to her back pocket where she has a knife hidden, though every logical part of her brain is telling her she’s being over cautious. Even still, she steps silently through the living area and around the corner that leads to the bedrooms. One door is cracked open, a dim light shining from the inside and she pushes the door more so that she can see what’s going on inside.

“And then, when all the bad guys were gone, Uncle Ray helped me and Uncle Mick get something very special for the party to celebrate.”

Smirking as she leans herself against the doorframe Sara tilts her head to listen for a moment.

“I don’t remember that,” she teases, breaking the silence and getting not only Leonard to look up at her, but the daughter settled on his lap as well.

“Mama!” She coos with a bright smile that Sara happily returns, crossing the room and taking the two-year-old from her father.

“Hey sweetheart,” she says, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Were you good for daddy while I was gone?”

The smaller blonde nods her head seriously and with a chuckle Sara smoothes her hair, which turns to a protective hand on the back of her head as she tucks the little girl close to her chest and leans down to meet Len in a kiss, even as he rises to his feet.

“So,” she says once they break apart and are both standing, “When exactly did Ray help you and Mick steal a party favor?”

“You were busy scolding Heywood,” he says and she laughs through a smile.

“Explains why I didn’t notice.”

He smiles softly at her before turning his gaze onto their daughter, who is practically asleep in her mother’s arms.

“Bed time for you little miss,” he says, a gentle finger stroking her little arm.

“No,” she protests weakly, fighting to keep her eyes open.

“Yes,” Sara insists with a sweet smile, turning and laying her down in her new bed, Len grabbing the edges of her blankets to tuck her in. “You need your sleep, we’ll see you in the morning.”

Leaning down she gives her daughter one more kiss, this one the little girl manages to return, and then Leonard does the same.

“We love you Rory,” he says as he straightens up.

“Love you too dada. Love you mama.” She all but whispers in return, a little broken through not only sleep but also her garbled baby speak; but they get the message.

Sara leads the way out of the bedroom with Len following behind her and turning off the light. She waits against the opposite wall as he closes the door, and as soon as he does he turns around with concern dominating his features.

“How’s your sister?” He asks and she smiles.

“Fine,” she promises, “A little freaked out but otherwise she’s fine.”

They both smile now, letting out breaths they hadn’t even known they were holding.

“Well,” Len says as they begin making their way to the living room, “She was in a coma for almost four years, she’s missed a lot.”

Sara hums in agreement and they sit down on the couch, hands joined together the entire time.

“She’s adjusting though, she wants to meet you and Rory.”

She’s staring at him with those big blue eyes of hers, like she actually thinks he’s capable of saying “no” to her if he wanted to.

“Oh yeah?” He asks and she nods, “When?”

She shrugs at that, “She wants it to be as soon as possible, but I want to give her some time to rest. The hospital thinks she’s going to be there for another few days so I was thinking… maybe the day they let her go?” She suggests, “It’ll give us some time to explain things to Rory, her some time to catch up with Ollie, and maybe it’ll help ease her into everything.”

Len nods at his wife’s sound logic and shifts to sit closer to her, his arm going around her shoulders and his lips pressing a soft kiss to hers.

“Sounds like a plan.”


	3. Meeting the Family

It ends up being four days that Laurel is held in the hospital, her doctor deciding to release her on the fifth. During those four days Sara spends a lot of time on the phone with not only Laurel, but also with Dig, Felicity, and with her mother. She also tells Rory that her Auntie is awake and that, no, she is not going to fall back asleep forever. She thought that was going to be a _much_ longer conversation, but thank goodness for Sleeping Beauty.

“Did a… princh wake Auntie Laurel… up?” Rory asks from the backseat. She’s already slept most of the drive, but they still have another hour and a half before they’ll reach Star City.

“It wasn’t that kind of sleeping spell babe.” Sara answers, though she knows that won’t be explanation enough for her. “It was more of one that wore off on it’s own.”

“Why?”

“Because that was the kind the witch who cursed her knew how to use.” Leonard supplies.

“Why… why she not… not know the… the kind wit… wit ta princh?”

“Just cause,” Sara says with a shrug, secretly amused by the fairy-tale way in which Rory is clearly picturing everything.

“The important thing is that she’s awake,” Leonard butts in before their toddler can ask anymore questions. “And she’s excited to finally be able meet you.”

Rory then starts to babble on about how she’s excited to meet her Auntie and about all the things she’s going to show her, the tell tale sound of a zipper being an obvious sign that she’s triple checking to make sure she remembered all the little toys she’d wanted to bring, which took all of yesterday afternoon to pick out. For a moment Sara closes her eyes, partly to get some sleep before they walk into the craziness of Laurel being discharged, and partly because she just wants to relish this moment. Rory, incoherent as her speech is, is talking about meeting Laurel. Laurel is awake. She’s leaving the hospital today; she’s ok.

When she opens her eyes Leonard is smirking at her and she gives him a light swat to the shoulder in response.

“Mommy!” A very scandalized voice exclaims from the backseat. “Don hit Daddy!”

 

* * *

 

Laurel is ready to go home.

These past few days in the hospital, while she understands that logically they have been necessary, have been the longest few days of her life, not to mention some of the most eventful. Waking up four years after the fight with Darhk a lot has changed not only in the world but also in the lives of the people whom she loves. Sara came on that first day and told her about Leonard and Rory; family she now has and can’t wait to meet. Her mom came the next day to tell her about her father’s death during her time asleep, when she asked why Sara didn’t tell her she explained the two of them had talked and agreed that it might have been better to allow her first day awake to be one filled with good news. A part of her was annoyed with that, another part understood it, considering Dig later came by to inform her that Ollie’s in prison, Felicity just shipped William off to boarding school for his own safety, and the team is in shambles.

One day of good news might have been necessary for everyone.

But now, after four days of doctors and tests, she is beyond ready to go home.

“Make sure you don’t forget your toothbrush,” her mother nags for maybe the hundredth time, and Laurel is trying to keep her cool but so help her if she is treated like a fragile child for five more seconds-

“Hello?”

The cautious and yet excited sounding familiar voice stops her mind in its tracks, her attention diverted to the door where Sara’s head is poking in before she enters fully, a man with a young toddler in his arms just behind her.

She recognizes them both from the pictures Sara showed her earlier in the week; along with a few her mom has shown her. But seeing them in person she can’t help but smiling brightly, a smile that Sara mirrors. Her sister comes over and gives her a hug, then pulls back and leads her over to her family.

“Laurel,” she says, her smile actually growing, meanwhile Laurel can’t help but feel a sudden flood of anxiety washing over her heart. “This is Leonard.”

Leonard, whom she also recognizes from old mug shots, is looking at her nervously. She’ll admit that when she first heard about Leonard, who he is beyond being Sara’s husband, she was a little weary. But the way Sara talked about him, and the way her mother talked about him, she knows he isn’t the same man she used to hear about in court.

“And this is Rory.”

Rory is hiding her face in her father’s shoulder, her head of blonde curls effectively blocking any glimpse Laurel might be able to get at her features.

“Who _was_ very excited to come and see you, so excited that she hardly slept last night.” Sara chides, moving to stand beside Leonard and trying to get a look at her daughter, who simply tenses and buries her face further into the crook of Leonard’s neck.

“That’s ok,” Laurel assures Sara, not wanting to push her niece. “Give her some time, she’ll warm up.”

* * *

 

Sara knows, logically, that Rory will warm up.

It isn’t unusual for her to be shy when they walk into a room with new people, even if those new people are people whom she knows. Still, Sara had hoped it wouldn’t be so bad given the only other people here are Laurel and her mother. Yet Rory is still clinging to Leonard as they finish packing up Laurel’s things and signing the paperwork for her release, though she does look up at one point and Sara notes her sister trying very hard not to point it out. They sign the very last for the release forms and still Rory hasn’t said anything until the five of them are out the doors of the hospital and walking through the parking lot.

“So I’m going with you?” Laurel says, turning to their mom. The plan is for the five on them to go to Big Belly Burger, Laurel’s choice, before they head to Laurel’s apartment where Dig and Felicity are supposed to be setting up a surprise party for her.

“No!” Rory suddenly protests, bringing everyone’s eyes to her. “No, I want you to… to come wit… wit us.”

Laurel is beaming, but Sara just rolls her eyes, torn between her desire to smile and her desire to face palm.

“Honey, if Auntie Laurel comes in our car Grandma is going to be all alone.” She says, trying to defuse this in such a way that Rory won’t not want to interact with her Aunt once they get to the restaurant.

“I know,” her mother says in a near gushing voice, and thank god because Rory suddenly looks like she is about to work herself into tears. “Why doesn’t Rory come with us?”

Sara exchanges a look with Leonard, just to confirm.

“But my toys!” Rory pipes up before anything else can be said, apparently still finding a flaw in this plan.

“You can show them to her later sweetheart, it isn’t a long drive like this morning. You won’t have time.” Leonard promises and then, as an added measure, Grandma interjects again.

“Besides, we have some toys in my car you can show her, right?”

Rory nods enthusiastically, clearly now fully on board with the new arrangement.

“Ok,” Sara says, placing her hand on her daughter’s back and smiling at her. “Give daddy and me a kiss goodbye, and we’ll see you soon.”

Rory’s kisses are sloppy, right on the lips, and sometimes when she’s in a hurry can involve some teeth crashing against teeth. But it’s always sweet, and always necessary if they plan to leave her for even just a ten-minute drive, not that Sara minds.

Once Rory has given her kisses Leonard passes her over to her grandmother, then the two groups part ways, Sara smiling when she looks back over her shoulder and see’s her daughter reaching out her arms until Laurel takes her.


End file.
